POTTSVILLE — A team of six students along with Ed Roberts, astronomy, physics and environmental science teacher, are preparing for the total solar eclipse that will occur on Aug. 21.

Last year, Roberts hand-picked six of the top 10th-grade students (so they would still be in high school during the eclipse) who showed an interest in science as a career to study and observe the solar eclipse in Missouri.

Together, they are working under the guidance of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), who is funding the project with no cost to the district. Roberts explained NASA has looked for ways to invest and involve students in the study of science.

Robert’s team will travel to Fulton, Mo., right on the totality line of the eclipse in order to be as close to 100 percent coverage as possible. While there, they will launch a balloon from the Fulton School District above the atmosphere during the eclipse for a two-hour period with five packages or boxes attached.

Within two of the boxes will be a camera and satellite transmitter receiver to stream video footage live to NASA. The team plans to conduct a Facebook live feed, stream video, take pictures and collect data.

The third box will contain Lego products. Roberts explained the Lego Corporation contacted him about partnering together to send their latest “robot brain” up with the balloon.

The fourth and fifth box will house other various experiments by grad students at the Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, who also partnered with Roberts and his team. Other partners include Montana State University. Potential partners include the University of Central Arkansas, Henderson State University and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

Roberts explained this will be “the first total eclipse of the sun visible from all 48 contiguous United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, since 1979. The last time a total eclipse was visible from coast to coast was on June 8, 1918. The next solar eclipse is a total eclipse visible in our area on April 8, 2024.”

Though Roberts’ team will be ultimately within a 100 percent coverage area, Pottsville will be within a 90 percent coverage area, according to an interactive map provided by Roberts. The partial eclipse will begin at 11:46 a.m. and will be visible until 2:44 p.m. with maximum visibility at 1:16 p.m.

During the solar eclipse, Robert and his students won’t be the only ones from the Pottsville School District involved. There will be lesson plans for the rest of the students that week to lead up to the eclipse, and all students K-12 will be equipped with special solar eclipse shades to protect their eyes while they witness the eclipse.

Look for more stories of Roberts team in future editions of The Courier.